Leading retailers Kaual Patel, Bobby Singh and Bay Bashir are the stars of Coca-Cola’s new advert that celebrates the invaluable role convenience stores play in local communities.
Coca-Cola's "The Bosses" series is an ode the businessmen and women ushering in a new era for the "vastly underestimated corner shop".
Patel, who owns Torridon Convenience Store in Catford, is among the highlight of "The Bosses", a film by multi award-winning director Ross Bolidai revealing how he has turned his shop into a cornerstone of Lewisham.
Patel's store stocks freshly made bread, cakes and vegan patties from small independent local producers, alongside big brands like Coca-Cola and there’s a Post Office. The store is running since 1984 while Patel took over the its realm in 2000.
Patel is also known for creating a Torridon Convenience Store IPA - made in collaboration with Brockley Brewery - and his own brand of gin is flavoured with bay leaves from trees planted outside.
The highlight of the store is a mural from local schoolchildren that is permanently placed in the pavement at the front of the store.
Patel keeps supporting a range of community projects, including giving up his spare time to fix a church roof.
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Singh, the heart and soul behind BB Superstore & Post Office in Pontefract, has a story deeply rooted in both his cultural heritage and his local community. It all began in 1984 when his father opened a small convenience shop in Pontefract.
Seven years later, after his father’s passing in 1991, a teenage Bobby embraced the challenge of running the family business alongside his mother.
For Bobby, the shop stopped being a playground and became a responsibility. His and his mother’s combined resilience and dedication to the shop transformed it into a thriving symbol of community spirit.
Bobby’s influence extends beyond the aisles of his store; he’s known for infusing his heritage into the everyday experience of his customers by playing bhangra music and sharing his culture with warmth and humour. This approach has turned BB Superstore & Post Office into a testament to the power of local businesses in fostering community bonds and preserving legacies.
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Bobby expresses immense pride in his role, stating, “My roots are in Punjab, but my home will always be in Yorkshire. The community of Pontefract is of huge importance to myself and my family, and I’m proud to celebrate 41 years of serving it.”
Bobby Singh continues to build on his father’s dream, ensuring BB Superstore & Post Office remains a cornerstone of the Pontefract community, providing essential services and a sense of belonging for years to come.
Another retailer celebrated in the series is Bashir who opened his first convenience store in Middlesbrough in 1998.
Following years of hard work – with late nights and long weekends, Bay and his family built a thriving business grounded in their local community.
Today, Bay is the proud owner of five convenience stores across the town, which he operates with help from his sons, Max and Ellis. As he looks to the future, he is preparing to hand over the reins to the next generation.
Max and Ellis Bashir already make their own contributions to the business. Ellis is passionate about the day-to-day running of the stores, while Max has a head for numbers and ideas on how to generate new revenue streams.
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According to Coca-Cola, a third of 2,000 adults surveyed by Opinium described their neighborhood convenience store as an essential resource in everyday life. Around 23 per cent say they depend on key workers like Patel more than any other retailer.
Coca-Cola states, "This year, we’re celebrating 125 years of serving Coca‑Cola in Great Britain, together with our local independent retail partners like Kaual.
"Corner shops, and the “bosses” who run them, aren’t just an essential part of the Coca‑Cola system - they are a pillar of communities whose value to society goes beyond the products they sell.
"That is why - to celebrate our local corner shop bosses - Kaual has been immortalised by talented Gen Z photographer Serena Brown, known for her work on bringing the stories of real people to the front of her camera lens.
"Brown produced a gallery of photos celebrating the commitment, heritage, know-how and personalities behind Britain’s corner shop counters.
"Similarly, Director Ross Bolidai has produced a moving mini-documentary that looks at Kaual’s story and how our local corner shops boast a vital role within communities and in supporting fellow independent businesses throughout London."